Gay Men Only 2 Percent of U.S. Population, 52 Percent of HIV Cases

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control finds that gay men, who make up only two percent of the U.S. population, constitute 52 percent of Americans with HIV.

The CDC report also noted that 63 percent of those recently infected with HIV are men who have sex with other men.

“Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) represent approximately 2 percent of the United States population, yet are the risk group most affected by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV),” the CDC report says. “Most gay and bisexual men acquire HIV through anal sex, which is the riskiest type of sex for getting or transmitting HIV.”

One of the reasons for the higher infection rate is promiscuity, the CDC said.

“Having more sex partners compared to other men means gay and bisexual men have more opportunities to have sex with someone who can transmit HIV or another STD. Similarly, among gay men, those who have more partners are more likely to acquire HIV,” the report said.

The report also found that African Americans with HIV get care for their infection at the lowest rate, followed by Hispanic men and then whites.

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com.